Its Market Presence Says It All. Review on Honda Activa

I was using my wifes Activa 2012 model for around five months and ran around five thousand kms. Total kms ran till date is 9000. The pickup is mixed being both good and having not bad feel. It depends on the amount of time the scooter was running on the day.

If you travel for long kms then pickup show variations. The scooter will pull you through regardless the weight you are carrying being it heavy or light you don't have to worry. The top speed I achieved is 80kmph the average highway cruising speed is 60kmph which is the most comfortable.

The consistent top speed I get is between 70-75kmph. Even with a gross weight of 230kgs I could achieve a top speed of 60kmph. This scooter performed really well in pulling heavy loads on both low end and high end speeds.

Regarding mileage the average you can get is 40-45kmpl. Riding at top speeds will give you around 35+/-. I got efficient mileage of 53kmpl by keep the speed under 40-45kmph constant. The 60kmpl mileage advertised by Honda might be possible if you are throttle friendly.

It is not always possible to ride slow especially on the highways is very frustrating so expecting a 40kmpl constant is advised.

Next is the comfort, I am 6.1" I felt back pain initially but after a while I got used to it. The scooter is small but the seats are sufficiently long and wide can accommodate the biggest of the butts. The most remarkable features of Activa are its EXCELLENT STABILITY and EXCELLENT BREAKS.

My scooter never skidded and the breaks have tremendous stopping power which stops the scooter without skidding either of the wheels. Also the tyres never punctured once in my 5000 kms ride. Due to these reasons I would recommend any of my loved ones to buy this scooter eyes closed.

It has a underseat storage that can accommodate a helmet and you can install a box at the front leg space if you need to carry more. Coming to reliability I never encountered any major problems except oil leak at the rear which the oil seal was replaced.

Besides that everything is running fine no electrical problems, no mechanical problems, no noise and stuff. The head light beam is not sufficient, the rear view mirrors are small and insufficient. I had to turn my head the old fashioned way to have a glimpses of the following vehicles.

The rear shock absorbers are performing really well  but the small diameter wheels are not good in compromising bad roads and speed breakers. If you are living or frequently travelling a area with lot of bad roads then its better to get a motorbike.

The petrol tank is very small, just put some for Rs.250/- then you have fuel gauge go off the chart. The kicker is placed at the rear in a awkward position. The self start will never fail except in cases of no maintenance. There is some starting trouble in the morning but using the choke will solve it.

I replace the engine oil every 1500 - 2000kms  and gear oil once in a month. I service it once every 3000-3500kms. Authorised service centers suck avoid them at all times. I would recommend this scooter to all if you don't mind little less pickup and less top end speed.

It is well balanced, stable, reliable and dependable. The long term reliability has to be seen and other scooters may have its qualities even be better than Activa.

But this scooter is a worthy machine to buy and own for a long time. You will not have any spare parts availability trouble and the popularity of Activa is not going to fade anytime sooner.